Ruby Walsh: Why I've never warmed to British Champions Day
ALMOST THERE: Oisin Murphy steers Whitehaven to victory in the Gamble Responsibly With Casumo Handicap at Haydock yesterday, a win that extended his lead on title rival William Buick to three in the race to be crowned Britain’s champion jockey.
Would I say I have been British Champions Day’s most prominent critic? No, but neither have I been a massive fan of the concept, even if I have been to the meeting a few times and never missed watching it.
Why am I not a fan of the idea? Because on the horse front, the season doesn’t end today for the stars that will align on the track. Some of them will move on to the Breeders’ Cup, or Japan Cup or to Hong Kong in early December as they trot around the globe chasing big prizes and adding international competition to some great races.
The European pattern races competitive nature was designed to encourage the best Flat horses to clash at various stages throughout the year whilst still giving horses the option to win races which create the clashes people want to see. It wasn’t rocket science, but it took plenty of clever people to negotiate and align the programme across the continent, with the UK, France, and Ireland leading the way.
In reality, this fixture should be next weekend, three weeks after Paris, but that only leaves two weeks to the Breeders’ Cup.
Hence, it is not, but it also shows the importance of the global racing cycle. There are only so many stars to go around, and driving international competition is where the sport can grow.
Early in November, at the Breeders’ Cup, the US racing press will continually say: “The Europeans are in town. That brings new competition and extra interest.
In December, Hong Kong has a whole international card to attract foreign superstars to promote a very healthy sport, but the new competition drives the interest.
I accept Ascot has a couple of fantastic clashes today, but that’s not always guaranteed and, as for international competition, a scattering of Irish and the odd French runner is all this day ever attracts.
Britain champions the early summer from the Derby in June to York in August and has massive highlights to showcase its sport all through that period, but while today might be a swansong for some, it is only Champions Day in terms of who is champion jockey.
In the UK, the season doesn’t even end today for anyone else, and a Group 1 two-year-old contest will take place at Doncaster next weekend, so the trainers’ title can linger on depending on the maths of prizemoney won and that which is still on offer.
The one title that will be decided today has been a belter of a competition and has given all racing fans interest in some pretty mundane action all this week.
Since Buzz chinned Burning Victory in last Saturday’s Cesarewitch, all of my interest — and I think that of many more people — has centred around the battle between the two men who rode those two horses.
In victory, Buzz gave Oisin Murphy a lead of seven winners over title rival William Buick in the jockeys’ championship. Goodwood on Sunday was 1-0 to William, who was then six behind with six days to go.
Monday was a 1-1 draw, when they were at different meetings, Wolverhampton and Kempton. No change, only less time left. William won Tuesday, 3-1 at Leicester. Four back and four days to go meant still a chance for him, but the maths still favoured Oisin.
Late in Wednesday’s play, William bagged a double at Nottingham and won the day 2-0. For the first time all week, you started to feel the momentum was with him, and Oisin was running out of ammo.
Two down with three days left, and it looked doable for William, but Oisin struck back with a draw on Thursday at Chelmsford, 1-1.
Not a victory, but for him mentally the tide had been stemmed.
Yesterday they were both at the same meeting again, Haydock, and as had been the tradition all week, William outnumbered Oisin in terms of rides or chances, 8-5.
At 2.20pm, William struck on Chairmanoftheboard to reduce Oisin’s lead to just one with 11 races remaining for both, but the defending champion replied at 3.30pm on Magisterial and with only nine races left, the maths and odds were stacked nicely in his favour.
By the time they had finished the day, Oisin had struck again in the last on Whiteheaven and, for the first time in the week, won on the day, 2-1.
Three clear with six races to go. Not mathematically certain, but it’s game over, the ball is burst.
William’s strike-rate this season is an impressive 22%, but four winners from six rides require a 66% strike rate from him this afternoon, and on this sort of card, that is going to require a lot of luck.
For a start, he doesn’t ride either Stradivarius or Trueshan in the Long-Distance Cup. Nor does he ride Snowfall in the Fillies’ and Mares’, or either of Palace Pier or Baaeed in the QEII.
His best ride early on the card is Creative Force in the Sprint but guess what? Oisin rides the favourite, Dragon Symbol, so before he even gets a chance to throw his leg over Adayar in the Champion Stakes, Oisin Murphy will most likely be champion jockey.
A total of 153 winners is a massive tally for a jockey to ride in the UK now, with the one meeting per day restriction, and it’s been a difficult eight days for the Kerry native.
To be fair to him, he has kept grinding away.
Momentum and some support probably waned since he failed a breath test for alcohol levels at Newmarket last Friday, but he hasn’t hidden and has managed to put himself where he wants to be.
He has almost retained his champion jockey crown now. Can he round it off on Alcohol Free in the QEII?
